Display apparatus for rugs and the like.



No.- 888,087. PATENTED MAY 19, 1008.

I M. D. HOWELL.

DISPLAY APPARATUS FOR BUGS AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 27.1907.

A TTORNE V5 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MALCOLM D. HOWELL, OF CHARLESTON, MISSOURI.

DISPLAY APPARATUS FOR BUGS AND THE LIKE.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MALeoLu D. HOWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Charleston, in the county of Mississippi and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Display Apparatus for Hugs and the Like, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to improvements in apparatus for supporting rugs, curtains, and analogous articles in such a manner that they may be readily inspected, and it has for its object to provide an improved apparatus of this character that not only enables a number of rugs to be supported at the same time, but enables any desired rug to be readily applied to or removed from the track or support from which the rugs or other articles are suspended, a section ol the track being arranged to cooperate with the rug hanger and being thereby automatically returned to normal operative position alter one of the rugs is either applied to or re moved from the track, devices being employed that are operable from the floor or other distant point for positioning a selected rug in position to pass through the open section of the track and serving to lift and lower the rugs relatively to the latter.

To these and other ends, the invention comprises the various novel features of construetion and combination and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out particularly in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing :-Figure 1 is a perspective view of a display apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view showing the relative positions of the parts preparatory to removal of one of the rug carriers, the dotted lines indicating the manner in which the movable track section is tripped as the carrier leaves the track. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the mode of applying one of the rug carriers to the track. Fig. 4 represents a transverse section of the track showing one of the rug carriers in elevation. Fig. 5 illustrates an implement that may be used to facilitate attachment and detachment of the operating cords relatively to the rug carriers.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated throughout by similar characters of reference.

The apparatus shown in the present em bodiment of the invention is especially adapt- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 27, 1907.

Patented May 19, 1908.

Serial No. 385,825.

ed for use in exhibiting rugs, lace curtains, and the like, as a large number thereof may be suspended from the track in a manner that will prevent creasing or stretching out of shape, and the various rugs are so arranged that they may be inspected with the greatest facility, and the rugs selected may be easily removed from the track without disturbing those remaining thereon.

The track or support shown in the present instance is in the form of an invertcdT, that is to say, it embodies a pair of horizontal laterally extending flanges 1 and 2 and a vertical web 3, a suitable number of brackets 4 being secured to the web and serving to sup port the track on the ceiling. The rugs or other articles to be exhibited are provided with carriers which are adapted to operate longitudinally of the track. Each carrier is composed, in the present instance, of a yoke 5 having a pair of vertical arms 6 and 7 arranged to project upwardly beyond the lateral flanges of the track and having their upper ends doubled inwardly to form a pair of bearings 8 and 9 arranged at opposite sides of the web or track, and into these bearings are fitted a pair of rollers 10 and 11 which are arranged to operate upon the upper sides of the lateral flanges 1 and 2, respectively, of the track. The ournals 13 and 14, which support these rollers, are extended laterally beyond the opposite sides of the carrier to form a pair of hooks 15 and 16 which are adapted to receive the attaching rings 17 and 18 provided on the ends with a pair of operating cords 19 and 20, the latter passing over a pair of pulleys 21 and 22 arranged at a point intermediate the ends of the track and over a second pair of pulleys 22 and 23 arranged beyond one end of the track, the cords extending to the floor of the room in which the apparatus is located.

The rugs or other articles for display are suspended from the carriers, a swivel 25 being attached to the lower end of eachcarrier in order to permit a pivotal movement of the rugs on a vertical axis. The rugs in the present instance are attached to a strip 26 carried by the swivel, clamps or other suitable devices 27 being employed for securing the rug at each side of the strip, the pivotal movement of the supporting strip enabling the rugs to be reversed, so that both of the rugs may be inspected without the necessity of changing the view point of the observer.

In order to permit removal of a selected 30 which is pivoted at 31 to the track.

rug without the necessity of removing others from the track, it is preferable to provide the track with a movable section which normally forms a continuous portion of the track but which is capable of adjustment to permit the removal of the carrier without the necessity of removing it from the end of the track. In the present instance, the lateral flanges 1 and 2 of the track are cut away at a given point leaving the web 3, and the cut-away portions of the flanges are normally covered by a movable track section, that shown in the present embodiment of the invention comprising a pair of rails 28 and 29 arranged at the opposite sides of the web, the rails being connected at one end to ahook The free ends of the rails are preferably beveled, as at 32, to cooperate with the correspond ingly shaped portions 33 of the track flanges in order that the rails may be firmly supported in alinement with the flanges and normally cooperate therewith to form a continuous surface for the rollers of the carriers. The hook or operating portion of the movable track section is arranged angularly to the rails, and when the latter are in operative .1 position or in ahnement with the track flanges, the hook is upturned so that it may be firmly engaged by the hook 3 1 on a staff 35, the latter being of a length suflicient to reach the track when held in the hand of the o erator, and it serves to turn the hook about the pivot 31 of the movable track section, the rails thereof being thereby tilted to the position shown in Fig. 2, the weight of the rails at one side of the pivot overbalancing the weight of the hook at the opposite side of the ivot, so that the track section is automatically held in open position.

The guiding pulleys 2 l and 22 of the operat ing cord are preferably located directly over the cut-away portions of the track flanges, and whenever it is desirable to remove a selected rug from the track, it is only necessary to engage the rings on the operating cords with the hooks on the proper carrier, the carrier of the rug to be removed being passed over the movable track section while the latter is in closed position and placed in the position shown by the full lines in Fig. 2. The movable track section may be then opened in the manner described, and, by pulling the operating cords, the carrier will be drawn into the opening of the track. The carrier may be then lowered, and, as the carrier descends, the pulleys thereon will strike the hook beneath the movable track section, causin the latter to tilt sufficiently to carry the ra s over the pivotal center, and gravity will serve to automatically carry the rails to closed or operative position.

When it is desirable to apply the rug carrier to the track, it is only necessary to at beyond the bearings of the carrier and thereby permit the rails to return to normal closed position. When the tension on the operating cord is released, the carrier will descend,

the rollers engaging the rails at opposite sides i of the web.

What is claimed is 1. In a display apparatus, the combination with a track formed of an intermediate vertical web and lateral flanges at the lower edge only thereof and also having a section capable of being opened, of a carrier having a pair of rollers arranged to engage the u per faces of said flanges at opposite sides 0 the web, said carrier depending from said rollers and extending below and free of the track for a distance greater than the height of the track-web to permit the carrier to be lifted to open the track section, and devices on said carrier for supporting the articles to be displayed.

2. In a display apparatus, a suitable track, a carrier. adapted to move longitudinally thereon, rollers supporting the carrier on the track, pivot pins or journals for the rollers extending beyond. the carrier and there formed into hooks, and means for engaging said hooks to support the carrier when free from the track.

3. In a display apparatus, a track composed of an intermediate vertical web and lateral flanges at the lower end only thereof, the said flanges being cut away at a point intermediate of the length of the track, a movable track section adapted to cover the cutaway portion, and a carrier embracing the flanges on opposite sides of the web and unobstructed above the flanges for the passage of the web relative to the carrier in a vertical direction.

4. The combination with a track composed of a pair of oppositely arranged flanges, and a vertical web connected thereto, portions of the flanges being cutaway at a given point in the track, of a carrier having portions 2 adapted to cooperate with the track flanges at opposite sides of the web, and a pivoted track section having rails adapted to bridge the cut-away portions of the flanges.

5. The combination with a track composed of a pair of oppositely arranged flanges and a vertical web connected thereto, portions of the flanges being cut away at a given point in the track, the web being continuous and serving to connect therail sections at opposite sides of the cut-away portions, of a carrier having portions to cooperate with the track flanges at opposite sides of the web and adapted to pass through the cut-away portions of the flanges, and a pivotal track section having a pair of rails arranged at opposite'sides of the web and serving to cover the cut-away portions of the flanges and control the passage of the carrier therethrough.

6. The combination with a track consisting of a central web and side flanges with the said side flanges cut away at a point intermediate of the length of the track, of a track section pivoted to the main track, for covering the cut-away portion, said track section having two rails or members one for the cutaway portion of each flange, and means whereby the pivoted track section may be moved into and out of operative position.

7. The combination with a track having a cut-away portion therein, and a carrier to operate longitudinally of the track and adapted to pass through the cut-away portion thereof, of a track section capable of being opened automatically when the carrier is applied to the track.

8. In a display apparatus, the combination with a track having a cut-away portion therein, and a movable section normally tending to close the cut-away portion of the track, of a carrier mounted to operate longitudinally of the track and serving to lift and release the movable section while passing in one direction through the cut-away portion of the track.

9. In a display apparatus, the combina tion with a track having a cut-away portion therein, and a movable section for closing the cut-away portion of the track having a hook for moving it into open position, of a carrier to operate longitudinally of the track and capable of passing through the cut-away portion, a part of the carrier cooperating with the hook to move the movable section toward closed position.

10. In a display apparatus, the combination 'with a horizontal track having acutaway portion therein, and a pivoted section for closing the said cut-away portion, of a carrier adapted to operate longitudinally of the track and capable of passing through the cut-away portion thereof, a pair of operating cords having devices for detachably connecting them to said carrier, and means located directly above the cut-away portions of the track for guiding the cords to operate therethrough.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MALCOLM D. HOWELL.

WVitnesses: I

REX CUNNINGHAM, J. P. HEGGIE. v 

